The Zapatista uprising on New Year's Day 1994 in the Chiapas region of Mexico attracted the attention of the world and inspired everyone interested in social change beyond the confines of parliaments. Uniquely, the Zapatista leaders used the Internet to announce their programme, rather than leaving it to the whims of the international media. This book examines the global and domestic significance of the Zapatista movement and the Chiapas region itself, and features original contributions from British, American and Mexican writers. The contributors assess the impact of the Zapatistas on political thought, and also examine wider issues, such as the role of women in the movement, the use of electronic media by revolutionary groups, and Mexico's economic and political place in the modern world. The book also looks at the personality of the Zapatista leader, Subcommander Marcos, who is so potent a source of inspiration, and who represents the possibility of a new politics, morality and ethics in Mexico.